Printing apparatus.



' PATENTED FEB. 28, 1905.

J I. MODONALD.

PRINTING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED APB.1, 1903.

W 11E55E5 1 mm W (702 11. m flamld.

/m%% My (932 NITED STATES Patented February 28. 1905.

PATENT- tries.

PRINTING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No 783,454, dated February28, 1905.

Application filed April 1, 1908. Serial No. 150,617.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that LJonN I. MoDoNALD,a citizen of the United States,residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented a certain new and useful Im provement in Printing Apparatus, ofwhich the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of thisspecification.

My invention relates to the art of printing, and has for its object theprovision of an improved construction of instrumentalities employed bycompositors and others for setting up forms whereby suchinstrumentalities may be assorted according to length, the inventionhaving particular utility in connection with leads, spacings, rules,borders, &c. To those familiar with the art of printing it is well knownthat the devices I have specifically mentioned are redistributed withconsiderable difficulty after distribution of the type. The work ofassorting the leads, spacings, &c., has

hitherto been tediously accomplished.

In accordance with my invention I so modify the contour of the leads,spacings, &c., that the selection is more readily effected, there beingdesirably provided a rack or other means for effecting proper alinementor location of the leads, spacings, &c., and a suitable tool adapted tobe engaged with the leads, spacings, 850., to effect their removal fromthe group in which they have been promiscuousl y located. The rack ispreferably straight, so that the ends of the leads, spacings, &c., thatare in engagement therewith will lie in a suitable plane, these leadsprojecting unequal distances, according to their lengths, away from therack to be in position to be engaged by the selecting-tool. The longestleads and spacings are selected first, the next in order of length areselected second, the next in order of length selected third, and so on.As the leads, spacings, &c., of each length are selected they aredesirably distributed, each with others only of its own length, a verydesirable construction being one wherein the rack is provided with anupright portion that has hangers projecting forwardly therefrom uponwhich the leads or spacings or other similar cylindrical or otherselecting tool.

material are suspended when the contour of such leads, spacings, &c., isof such a charactor as to permit of such suspension. order that theselecting-tool may perform its work, it is of such shape that it willreadily engage first with the leads of one length, after the removal ofwhich the said tool is brought into engagement with the leads of anotherlength, and so on. The selecting-tool that may be employed for thepurpose is one that is cylindrical, being in one form of the inventionin the shape of a slender rod, though I do not wish to be limited to theparticular form of selecting-tool that is used. A tool of such a shapeas that specifically set forth requires a modification of the contour ofthe leads, so as to permit of engagement between the leads and the tool,so that the tool may perform its function and effect the removal of theleads. This modification of the contour preferably resides in theformation of recesses in the end portions of the leads, the entrances towhich recesses are smaller than the bases thereof, whereby overhangingprojections or horns are provided for engagement with the The rack thatengages one end of each of the leads should desirably be of suchconstruction that when the leads are engaged by the selectingtool theymay be removed from the rack after they have been rotated through asufficient angle by the selecting-tool. When the selectingtool employedis of such a shape as to require modification in the shape of the leads,the rack is desirably so formed as to engage a modified portion of thecontour in a manner to hold the leads in place when they occupy oneposition and to permit the removal thereof when they are rotated to analternative position.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention there is located atthemiddle of each end of each lead or similar device a recess, which recesses are themselves readily alined in the leads of the same lengthwithout the exercise of great care. The leads in addition to beingengaged at an end of each by the rack are also located with theirlongitudinal edges in the same planes, so that the free ends of theleads will be so disposed as to bring the recesses in the edge portionsin alinement, whereupon the selecting-tool may be passed into theserecesses, as described. Another form of the leads is one wherein therecesses in the ends thereof instead of being circular are dovetail. Inanother form of the invention the recesses are located at thelongitudinal edges of theleads instead of upon the ends, in which casealso the recesses are symmetrically disposed, so that it is immaterialhow the leads are assembled so long as the recesses are properly alinedaccording to the lengths of the leads.

I will explain my invention more fully by reference to the accompanyingdrawings, in which* Figure 1 is a perspective view of the preferred formof my invention. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of a portion of theapparatus illustrated in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a view indicating thetransfer of selected leads, &c., from the selecting tool or rod to asuspending-pin. Fig. 4 is a view of a modified form of the assembly-rackwith a modified form of lead or other suitable device in place thereon.Figs. 5 and 6 are views of modified forms of the leads.-

Like parts are indicated by similar characters of reference throughoutthe different figures.

In the drawings I have illustrated one of several forms of cabinets athat may be employed. Upon the horizontal shelf of this cabinet theremay be disposed a rib 7), upon which may be provided an assembly-rack 0,which may be provided with a retaining-ledge (Z, that may be of anysuitable form, such as that shown most clearly in Fig. 2 and Fig. 3.

I have indicated a selecting-tool e that is in the form of a cylindricalrod, and where the selecting-tool is of circular cross-section theleads, spacings, rules, or like elements that are to be embraced withinmy invention are provided with circular recesses or apertures ftherethrough, these recesses being desirably open at the edges of theleads 6, so that they may be removed from any portion of theassembly-rack without moving the leads longitudinallyoftherack.Theseholesoraperturesare preferably so disposed and shaped thatoverhanging portions are left at the side edges of the leads, so as toenable the selector to carry the same, as is indicated in dotted linesin Fig. 1 and in full lines in Fig. 3. It is obvious that the recesses fmay be otherwise shaped and that the selecting-rod may be of other form.In the form of the invention illustrated in Figs. 1 to 4, inclusive, therecesses f are located at both ends of each lead or similar device andmidway between the longitudinal edges. Theseleads, &c. are, as is wellknown, formed in varying lengths to economize material and time, andwhen they are to be distributed they are assembled upon the rack d asthey are taken from the pile in which they are pro- I miscuouslylocated, whereafter the selector (2 is brought into engagement with theleads of each length, each group of leads being successively thusengaged by the selector and withdrawn by the movement of the selector,that causes the leads to be inclined with respect to the horizontalshelf of cabinet a, whereupon they may be disposed upon'thesupporting-pins or other suitable support lb, Fig. 1 indicating thetransfer of a group of leads from the selector 6 to a pin it. Theselector when in the form of a rod circular in cross-section isdesirably pointed at one end to facilitate its engagement with therecesses f, and the pointed end of the selector'is .desirablycountersunk slightly, as indicated in Fig. 3, so that the sharpened endsof the pin h may be engaged by the selector to facilitate the transferof the leads from the selector to the pins.

It may be desired to protect the leads, &c., and the assembly-rack fromwear, for which purpose the said rack may be provided with aprotecting-facing, formed, for example, of rubber or other elasticsubstance i, which in the form shown in Fig. I also permits the removalof leads from the rack by a longitudinal movement of the leads.

In the form shown in Fig. 5 the shape of the recess f has been modified.In the form shown in Fig. 6 the recesses f have been located upon thelongitudinal edges of the lead; but they are symmetrically arranged, asin the other forms. As indicated in Figs. 5 and 6,

or the like to modify the contour thereof symmetrically with respectboth to a middle line 0000 extending longitudinally ofeach lead so thatit is immaterial in what manner the leads are gathered together to beplaced upon the assembly rack, because the leads will always be inposition to have each size thereof in the contour at the ends of theleads engagedby the selector will be suitably alined for the purpose.

The forms of the invention shown in Figs.

cated at the transverse edges, midway between the longitudinal edges,are preferred.

It is obvious that changes may be made from the embodiment of theinvention herein the invention, and I do not, therefore, wish to belimited to the precise characteristics illustrated; but,

Having thus described my invention, I claim 1. The combination with aplurality of leads, rules or other like printers article of varyinglength apertured or recessed at either of their ends midway betweentheir longituand symmetrically with respect to a middle; line y 3/extending transversely of each lead, 5

the recesses fare provided through the leads I00 selected by theselector, as the modifications I10 1 to 5, inclusive, where the recessesfare 10- 5 shown without departing from the spirit of as new and desireto secure by Letters Patent I 5 dinal edges of a selector-tool adaptedto 006p- 3 crate therewith to effect the removal of leads of a givenlength, substantially as described.

2. The combination with a plurality of leads, rules or like printersarticle of varying length apertured or recessed at either of their endssymmetrically with respect to a middle line extending longitudinally ofthe lead and with respect to a middle line extending transversely of thelead, of a selector-tool adapted to cooperate therewith to effect theremoval of leads of a given length, substantially as described.

3. A plurality of leads, rules or other like printers article of varyinglengths, eachapertured or recessed at both ends midway between itslongitudinal edges, the apertures or recesses thus formed havingentrances smaller than their bases, whereby said articlesmay be quicklyassembled in a single group and separated into smaller groups by a toolto a middle line extending transversely of the leads, the apertures orrecesses thus formed having entrances smaller than their bases, wherebysaid leads, &c., may be assembled in a single group and' separated intosmaller groups by a tool that is thereby adapted to select leads or sucharticles of a similar size at each operation of the tool, substantiallyas described.

5. A lead, rule or other like printers article apertured or recessed atboth of its ends midway between its longitudinal edges, the

entrances to said recesses being smaller than their bases, substantiallyas described.

6. A lead, rule or other like printers arti-' cle apertured or recessedat both of its ends symmetrically with respect to a middle lineextending longitudinally of said article and

